Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1

[daniellaaarisen]

Hey Harry Potter nerds, I have a theory for you. I think it's pretty obvious that these references exist in the novels, but I'm just starting to realize how widespread these supremacist criticisms are in the novel.

Harry Potter (specifically the 6th and 7th books) reflects the problems of national socialism and, more specifically, Nazi rule. Think about it-- the emphasis on pureblood wizarding families is just the beginning. Dolores Umbridge, by no means a Death Eater, was notorious for her prejudices towards "half breeds" such as Hagrid (part giant) and the centaurs. In the 7th book, Harry discovered that Dumbledore was very close friends with an aspiring dark wizard when he was younger. That wizard, who was coincidentally a German named Grindelwald, justified his terrorization of half-blood and "mudblood" individuals by the slogan "For the Greater Good." He had created a prison during his life that held all of his enemies and those he wished to isolate-- this prison was called Nurmengard. Sounds an awful lot like "Nuremberg", as in the Nuremberg trials that decided the fates of the caught Nazi leaders.

So eventually, Grindelwald is killed by Dumbledore, who is considered the most avid Muggle rights activist in the wizarding community. Then Voldemort comes along and essentially continues Grindelwald's process of eradicating half-blood and Muggle-born witches and wizards. The wizarding community didn't do a whole lot to top him despite his 30+ year "reign of terror," simply because they were petrified of his power and significance; they wouldn't even speak his name, let alone band together to support their family and friends who would be targeted by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Many people, even those who far from supported Voldemort, began to believe that pure blood was better blood.

In the 7th book, Voldemort took over the Ministry of Magic and changed the Ministry's slogan to "Magic is Might." The new regime took all half-blood and Muggle-born witches and wizards and gave them a completely unfair trial that always ended in getting their wands destroyed. The chairs at these hearings for those Muggle-borns were made of bones, like the stacks of bones found at concentration camps. Holocaust: Wizarding Style. And Dumbledore beat Grindelwald in 1945, the same year that Hitler was defeated.

Crazy.